Been there, bought the anti-capitalist T-shirt

If we all wore identical T-shirts with serial numbers emblazoned across the chest, would we feel more like individuals or less like individuals? The Dutch designer Twan Verdonck, whose previous works have been exhibited in New York's Museum of Modern Art, thinks we'd all feel better.

His latest project, We Are Numbers, is designed to challenge the notion of disposable fashionand confront the fashion industry as a mechanism for hyper-consumption that at the same time works to wash away our last claims to individuality. The project is part social statement, part design exercise, part clothing label, celebrating equality and uniqueness through basic black T-shirts (€30/£26 from wearenumbers.com), each hand-printed with a different number. Verdonck himself has Number 1, and numbers increase sequentially with each new wearer. The first 1,000 members – there's a certain organic community element to the project – will be featured in an art book. So far, there are nearly 300 of them.

Verdonck talked to Wired.co.uk about the project's mission, its larger grassroots goals, and some of the concept's implicit paradoxes.

You've been called a "socially-conscious designer". How does We Are Numbers channel this in terms of reflecting on the social phenomenon of mass fashion?

We Are Numbers is a protest against fashion companies who make us believe that we have to continuously buy expensive clothes to express our individuality and stay trendy. Never mind there may be nothing wrong with our existing clothes. With this art project, we want to promote the idea that even though everyone is different, we are all equal. We are no fashion slaves, because we are beautiful as we are.

What's the project's ultimate goal?

Universal love, low consumption and unlimited creativity for all mankind. I want to number everyone around the world, since I think it will help to bring people together and will stop unnecessary consumption and inequality.

Everyone in the same T-shirt means that we are all equal. The different numbers show that we are all unique. The number system also gives us an idea of how the project evolves and provides an element of community. New Numbers are asked to submit a photo or video of themselves and a personal link, forming a grassroots social network where Numbers can connect and meet each other.

That's a beautiful thought in concept, but isn't it a bit Orwellian and reminscent of prison uniforms and prisoner numbers?

To be honest, I think it's the other way around. Many people have been imprisoned by this hyper-consumption fashion culture, feeling obliged to "shop till they drop." We Are Numbers membership is voluntary and the T-shirt is just a positive, irreverent protest statement.

At its core, We Are Numbers advocates the inherent equality of mankind. At the same time, you mention in the project's description that an early number, like 10, may be "cooler" than a later one, like 10,000. This seems to admit an element of social hierarchy, in this case, through perceived "coolness" as a necessary organisational component of large societies. How do you reconcile the two?

Yes, we are definitely all equal and also different. But instead of obtaining coolness through buying a new product, members do it when they submit an amazing photo or video, have talent or have something important to say – when they provide a gift for the We Are Numbers community.Related to this, how do you handle the obvious paradox of confronting designer labels through an even more exclusive "label"?

The We Are Numbers T-shirts are definitely not meant to be exclusive, limited edition, contemporary, trendy or whatever. They should be totally accessible for everyone. And wearable at all times. The less exclusive and trendy the better.You mention on your site that Numbers have formed an organic grassroots network and have held various events like mini-concerts and expos. How do you harness that community? Do you envision this becoming a bigger movement, beyond the clothes themselves?

Yes, we try to organise free events and parties once in a while, so members have a chance to meet and have fun. We try to involve our members as much as possible. Numbers 166 through 170, for example, form the band Moodak. We invited the WAN members to their gig. The band also gave away free CDs to some new members. It would be great if WAN could evolve into a gift culture in the future.There's a certain tension in We Are Numbers between innovation on the one hand and the outrage against disposable everything on the other. Isn't disposability a necessary component of regeneration? Don't we always have to get rid of the old in order to accommodate the new?

Since the look of the WAN T-shirts will stay the same forever (only the number changes), they will never go out of style. There's no need to throw them away. One should be able to wear and feel great in it as long as physically possible. It may even be seen as a personal investment that becomes more valuable over time.

The reality is, this is capitalism. Which means consumerism. People use things – brands, products, labels – to define themselves and carve out a space in the world. Do you think it's possible to transcend that need in this cultural climate? And is that even necessary in order for We Are Numbers to be successful?

I think that we'll soon see a post-capitalist society. Capitalism has brought us inequality, poverty and wars. People are now realising that ownership is not creating happiness. We see new concepts emerging. The open source movement is a clear example. Sharing (web 2.0) and becoming one (web 3.0) will be the new owning. We Are Numbers fits in perfectly.What's your favourite number?

Number 2. She's my girlfriend!

Twan Verdonck'sBoezels project – a series of animal-like toys designed to stimulate and reduce anxiety among mentally challenged people and those with Alzheimer’s – was exhibited in New York's Museum of Modern Art as part of the Safe: Design Takes on Risk show. The following year, the work was acquired by the MoMA's permanent collection